Sole press



United States Patent 3,201,811 SOLE PRESS Harold E. Marasco, Beverly,Mass., assignor to Marasco Shoe Machinery Corporation, Lynn, Mass., acorporation of Delaware Filed June 4, 1963, Ser. No. 285,389 1 Claim.(Cl. 12-33) This invention comprises a new and improved sole press ofthe type employing a pad box and pad for supporting a sole, incombination with separate toe and heel posts for presenting a lastedshoe to the pad-supported sole and resisting the conforming andattaching pressure of the machine.

In such sole presses it is important to support the lasted shoe securelyat both ends of the last when subjected to pressure and to provideimmediate and ample clearance at the conclusion of the cycle, thusfacilitating removal from the press of the now united shoe and sole andthe presentation of new work.

With this end in view the invention, briefly described, consists inseparate toe and heel posts for presenting a lasted shoe to apad-supported sole, means tending at all times to retract and hold boththe posts in position of full clearance and fluid pressure connectionsfor simultaneously moving the posts toward the pad. The posts are thusheld in positions of pressure by fluid pressure and are retraetedautomatically and simultaneously at the instant of cut ofl of fluidoperating pressure.

As herein shown the two posts have independent retracting springs andcylinders which are included in a unitary fluid pressure system having acontrolling valve. This valve may be operated automatically in the cycleof the machine or at intervals determined by the operator.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood andappreciated from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in theaccompanying drawing, in which the figure is a view of one section orstation of the press in longitudinal section.

My invention is herein shown as embodied in a turret type of press thatmay have as many as six stations, but is not, by any means, limited inits application to that or to any specific type of press:

The frame of the press is designed to support a rotatable turret inwhich is included a fluid pressure reservoir in the shape of avertically disposed cylinder 11 supported by ball bearings upon theframe. Fluid under pressure is supplied to the cylinder 11 andmaintained always under working pressure through connections leading tothe bottom of the cylinder.

The turret carries a number of sole press units of which one is shown inthe figure. A bracket 12 extends radially from the cylinder and carriesan inclined plate 13 upon which is mounted the pad box 14 carrying aninflatable pad 15 for supporting the sole. The pad box 14 is mounted foradjustment on the plate 13 by means of a screw 16. A tube 17 constitutesa fluid pressure connection for the pad with the cylinder and in thisconnection is placed a valve 18 of the well known Hunt Sliding Sleevetype which is controlled by a triangular rocker 19. This may be operatedautomatically in the cycle of the machine or by the operator at anydesired intervals for admitting compressed air to inflate the pad or forreleas- 3,201 ,8 1.1 Patented Aug. 24, 1965 ing and exhausting the padat the completion of each cycle.

As described up to this point the press with the pad box 14, cylinder30, valves 18 and 46 connected by a yoke and rocker 19 is identical withthe corresponding parts of the machine of my prior Patent No. 2,813,282.Rocker 19 may be operated automatically in the cycle of the machine orby the operator by means described in that patent and the fluid pressureis vented through the valves 18 and 46 as explained in respect to thecorresponding valves 26 and 34 of the patent.

The turret is provided with an overhead radial bracket 20 for eachstation and at the outer end of each bracket is mounted a fluid pressurecylinder 30 having a piston and piston rod 31 which constitutes the heelpost of the press and carries a pivoted plate 32 for engaging the crownof the last. Beneath the piston is located a compression spring 33 whichtends at all times to retract the heel post and hold the plate 32 in aposition of maximum clearance.

A fluid pressure cylinder 40 is also mounted upon the bracket 20 inparallel relation .with the cylinder 30 and disposed at right angles tothe carrier plate 13 and pad box. The cylinder 40 contains a piston andpiston rod 41 carrying an adjustable toe pad 42. A compression spring 43beneath the piston tends at all times to move the toe post upwardly toposition of maximum clearance. The cylinder 40 is somewhat shorter thanthe cylinder 30 since the stroke required of its piston is less thanthat required for the heel end of the shoe.

The machine is provided with a fluid pressure system which includes apipe 34 leading to the cylinder 30 and a pipe 44 leading to the cylinder40. These pipes are connected to a trunk pipe 45 containing a valve 46located in close proximity to the valve 18 and identical to it andconnected through it to the rocker 19. Accordingly when the rocker isoperated to open the valves 18 and 46 fluid pressure is admitted to thepad box though the pipe 17 inflating and elevating the pad 15 and at thesame time fluid pressure is admitted to the cylinders 30 and 40 so thatthe heel post 31 and the toe post 41 are simultaneously advanced toengage the crown of the last and the forepart of the lasted shoewherever these components of the shoe may be located thus creating therequired sole molding and attaching pressure between the sole and thebottom of the lasted shoe.

After a predetermined interval the rocker 19 is operated to cut offfluid pressure to the cylinders 30 and 4t) and open an exhaust outletwhereupon the springs 33 and 43 act immediately and simultaneously toretract and elevate the heel post and toe post to a position of maximumclearance and also to release the pad 15 from its elevated position thusfacilitating removal of the shoe with the attached sole. The pad box isthus presented in convenient position for the reception of a new soleand shoe.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail anillustrative embodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

A sole press comprising a pad box and pad for supporting a sole inoutwardly and downwardly inclined position, an overhead arm carrying twoseparate fluid pressure cylinders located respectively opposite to thetoe and heel ends of the pad box with cooperating toe and heel postsmovable therein at substantially right angles to the pad box, meansmounting said toe and heel posts in said cylinders so that the stroke ofsaid toe post is shorter than the stroke of said heel post, fluidpressure connections to the pad box for inflating and elevating the padand fluid pressure connections to each of the said cylinders for movingboth posts independently and simultaneously toward the pad until engagedwith an interposed shoe, and means for independently retracting the toeand heel posts from the pad to positions of maximum clearance uponrelease of fluid pressure in their associated cylinders, whereby saidheel post moves a greater distance than said toe post to provideimmediate and ample clearance between said toe and heel posts and theshoe.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 JORDANFRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

